Double entry tourist visa, when is it better to leave for other countries for a little while?

[Grienders2]

I have a double entry 6 month visa

(the dates are approximate)

Start date: Aug 3

First extension (1900 baht): Oct 3

First visa run (to activate the 2nd part of it): Nov 3 (within one day because Enter Before is 3 months)

Second extension (1900 baht): Jan 3

End date: Feb 3

The thing is that I want to visit other countries while my thai visa is active and then come back. I want to do that 1 or 2 times for about 2 weeks - a month, or maybe longer.

So when is the best time to do that to avoid making redundant payment for extending it (1900 baht) if possible and be able to keep it? Of course, I know I'll have to pay for re-entry 1 000 baht but I'd like to reduce unnecessary expenses.

Or can I just come to the immigration, ask for "re-entry", pay 1000 baht and go to another country and then come back any time (when the visa is still active which is before Feb 3)?

What if I leave before Oct 1 and then be at Oct 15, will I have to pay for extension 1900 baht and for re-entry 1000 baht?

And if I come back on Nov 2?

And on Nov 5 (remember, enter before Nov 3 it says in my visa)?

I'm confused.

[TerryLH]

Re-entry permits are only good until the 'permission to stay' date. They do not add any time to how long you can stay.

[Grienders2]

I know that I'm allowed to stay only until Feb 3. But my question isn't about that.

[Grienders2]

if I leave before Oct 3 and return before Nov 3, will I have to get re-entry first? Will I have to pay 1900 bath for extension?

[nowretired]

You can leave and return during the period of any permission to stay if a re entry permit has been obtained.

It is up to you to determine when/if an extension of stay applied for.

[Grienders2]

if I leave before Oct 3 and return before Nov 3, will I have to get re-entry first? Will I have to pay 1900 bath for extension?

[chaawlepcha]

I understand that IO has a double tourist visa with 3-month visa validity and that IO' confusion is coming from the mixing of visa and parmission to stay.

For the differnces of visa/parmission to stay, please read the following link, post NO.10 which I made recently:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/851602-denied-my-second-60-day-entry-on-double-entry-visa-ma-sai/

For your specific questions:

-So when is the best time to do that...
A. Oviously, AUG-SEP in Thailand and Oct overseas; NOV-DEC in Thailand and Jan overseas. It seems that in November you need to enter into Thiland before Nov 3.
But it would also depending on until when you wish to stay in Thailand.

- Or can I just come to the immigration, ask for "re-entry"...
A. Your double entry visa would give you permission stay of /60+30/60+30 day. But to get 60-day permission to stay ("/60" part), you need to make a new entry. To get 30 day extention of permission to saty ("+30" part), you need to a extiontion at immigration.
Please be reminded of the fact that your re-entry prtmit can not cross a "/" mark or a "+" mark, which means your re-entry permit will be invalid when your permission to saty expires or it can be said that the validity duration of your re-permit would be less 60-day or less 30-day.

- What if I leave before Oct 1 and then be at Oct 15...
A. If you before on Oct 1 with no extionsion, you will lose /60+30 part of "/60+30/60+30".

If you leave again on Oct 15, it is possible that you lose all parts of "/60+30/60+30". You shold consider to get a re-entry permit.

Hopes that you can now answer the rest of your questions by yourself.

[ovenman]

No matter what you decide to do, the most important thing is that you enter Thailand and activate the second entry on the tourist visa by the 03 November date. Otherwise you lose that entry. Nothing extends that date. There is another current thread running on that very topic: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/851602-denied-my-second-60-day-entry-on-double-entry-visa-ma-sai

[ovenman]

PS - My thought to save both hassle and money would be to enter Thailand using your first sixty-day entry, leave Thailand after that sixty days to do your "outside" traveling neither bothering to extend that initial sixty-day entry nor get a re-entry permit, then return to Thailand on or before the 03 November date to activate the second entry on your tourist visa.

[carter1882]

Songkran.

[Too]

PS - My thought to save both hassle and money would be to enter Thailand using your first sixty-day entry, leave Thailand after that sixty days to do your "outside" traveling neither bothering to extend that initial sixty-day entry nor get a re-entry permit, then return to Thailand on or before the 03 November date to activate the second entry on your tourist visa.

I would do the same, too.

You can stay away from Thailand in October, when the weather will get the worst

here, and then come back to Thailand by November 3, by which time the weather

will have started getting better here.

[whaleboneman]

I get triple entry visas every year and never paid 1000 baht re-entry. Where does that come from? And remember, the last trip into Thailand, before you head home, can be just a 15 or 30 day visit for free (depending on what country you're from). So, 2 months in Thailand, one month in Laos. Two months in Thailand, one month in Vietnam. Fly back to Thailand and get visa exempt entry for 30 days. Get extension at the end if you need it.